What I Did in Edinburgh

What destination comes to your mind when asked about the ultimate place you want to explore before you get married?

In my case, that is Edinburgh.

Visiting Edinburgh has been a dream of mine since I was 10. At that age, I wanted to go there because –surprise, surprise!– I am a Harry Potter fan, and I read off the internet that its brilliant writer, J.K. Rowling, created the book series in that city. Just the idea of being in the same place where all that magic started makes me one happy gal.

Then, let’s just say that my priorities have shifted to far more mature things. I got more socially active. Around the same time, I started falling head over heels with football and Chemistry. My dream of visiting Edinburgh has a little girl has been repressed by all those other things I have had to do at school.

Yet, going to Edinburgh must really be in the cards for me, even when it has not entered my mind for years, because it came as a high school graduation gift from my parents. My first thought when I stepped out of the airport and on to the foreign land? “J.K. Rowling, here I come!”

I know, I know. That is too much for me to ask. Obviously, I did not meet her, but I am not at all heartbroken about that since I realized that Edinburgh has so much more interesting assets that are simply waiting to be discovered.

Here are some of the activities that I enjoyed:

Climbing Scott Monument

People say that a person’s adventurousness rises when you are in a place that you know you may not be able to visit again. At home, I always complain to my parents whenever I have to go down the 15 steps of our stairs. In Edinburgh, I climbed the long and steep staircase of Scott Monument. I cannot tell you how I was able to come down without falling to my death, but let’s just be happy that I survived it to tell this story.

Touring Old Buildings

I have never imagined that I would appreciate going to castles and churches that are a gazillion times older than me. What is fascinating about the Edinburgh Castle and even the Rosslyn Chapel, aside from their grand architecture, is how well the authorities have been able to maintain their original beauty. Too bad we missed the choral singing when we went to the church, but I am crossing my fingers that there will still be a next time.

Visiting the Underground Vaults

My dad took the liberty to sign us all up for a tour to the underground vaults of South Bridge. The stories that the guide was telling us about the stuff the happened there during the 18th century? They were a tad bit too vivid for my wayward imagination that I have admittedly dreamed about them one night, but I am not going to pass up such an experience –thrilling or not.

Dipping in a Turkish Bath

Not sure if there is anything like it in the States, but this is the most fun I have had in taking baths. I am not a fan of getting wet. I dread the rainy days. Yet, I enjoyed the Turkish bath so much that I would not have gotten out if my momma did not remind me that we have other places to visit. Perhaps it is the different water temperature that did it for me.

Eating in Mostly Healthy Restaurants

When you are on a vacation, keeping up with your calorie intake is so difficult. For me, it is way, way tougher because back in the US I eat anything that I like as well and has no care about my diet. But from this trip, I want to have a lot of nice pictures, so I tried a weight loss program that prohibits me from consuming a lot of carbohydrates. The dishes that really suited my palate –and my diet– came from restaurants like Urban Angel, Earthy, Henderson’s Vegetarian Bistro, and Kublai Khans.

I stayed in this lovely city for a week, but it has only made me want to learn more about it. Hmm, in another time.